Nelson quotes Susan Sontag who famously described our time as an ·'age of extre111jty." According to Sontag, living in such an age allows us only "two equally tea1ftil, but seemingly opposed,...

Nelson quotes Susan Sontag who famously described our time as an ·'age of extre111jty." According to Sontag, living in such an age allows us only "two equally tea1ftil, but seemingly opposed, destinies: unremitting banality and inconceivable te1Tor." What might Sontag have meant when she made chis declaration-in particular, what "extremities" could she have had in mind? ln what ways does the term banality describe the media environment today? Think, for example, about the latest coverage of figures like Lady Gaga or Beyonce. In what ways does ''tetTor" also play a role. and what is the relation between terror and banality? Does Nelson agr ee with Sontag's claim chat only two "destinies" are now available to us? Could slowing down and staying stil.l offer an alternative to both banality and terror? How'